Electric-lamp socket.



No. 744,330. PATENTED NOV. 17, 1903.

V J. H. GOEHST.

ELECTRIC LAMP SOCKET.

APPLICATION 311,21) MAY 12, 1902: no MODEL.

no. Mateo.

' fatented November 17, 1903.

. Yllsrrs' Saree PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN" H. eo nnsr. or ouroaoo, ILLINOIS, AssieNon TO FEDERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, or CHICAGQ, lLLlNOlS, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS. 1'

.sesoraio sme socKsT.

srnorrrea'r on fog pert s was eaten: no. tease dated November 17, 1903. 1 v 'dpplioatlon filed m 1% 190% Serial Ker 107,013. (No model.)

This invention relates to improvements'in" electric-lamp sockets, and refers more 'specif ioaily to an improved construction. for attachiug the sockets to the. support therefor.

My improvements are herein illustrated as applied to keyless sockets adapted for useinplaces-where it isdesired, to support the sockets on relatively thin supporting-bodies, such as sheet metal, Wood, glass, or the like.

An instance or example of the use of the socket herein shown is found in my oopending application, filed by me of even date here= with for improvements in electrically-illumimated signs, Serial No. 107,012. My improve ments may,however,be applied to other forms of sockets and for other purposes, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

As shown in the drawings, Figure 1 his side elevation, with parts in section, of a lampsocket made in accor ance with my invention,

showing the support. to which it is attached.

Fig. 2 is an axial-section thereof. Figs. 3 and i are a side elevation and an axial section of a modified form of thesocket.

Said socket consists, in general terms, of two detachably-connected parts, one of which (the main body of the socket)extends through an opening in the support therefor and is provided with a shoulder to engage one side face of the support and the other or detachable part of which is connected with the past of said main body which extends beyond the sup-- port and constitutes a shoulder opposing the shoulder on the main body, between which shoulders the support is clamped, thereby holding the socket rigidly in place.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, A

designates the hollow body or receptacle of the 'plate or the like.

socket, usually inade of porcelain orlike insulating material, and B designates the support to which the socket is attached, said support usually having the form of a thin sheet-metal A designates one of the terminals, to which one of the conductors is attached, A the other terminal, to which the other conductor is, attached, and A a metal 'screwring connected with the terminal A and located in the hollow, receptacle or body A for screwthreaded connection with the plug of the lamp. The outer or exposed end of the socket is provided with a reduced screw threaded portion Afi -which extends through an opening bin the support B and a distance beyond said support, and said body is provided inside'said reduced portion withan annular shoulder a, which bears against the inner face of said support B; A designates a screw threaded ring, which has screwthreaded engagement with the outer reduced end A of the body of the socket A andis adapted to be turned tightly against the outerface of the support B, the-inner end of said ring or nut A constituting a shoulder which opposes the shoulder a of the body and between which and said shoulder a the support. B isclamped. j Said nut or ring A is made of anysuitabie softmaterlal which will readily adapt. itself to the coarse screw-threads of the porcelain, copper or aluminium being a suitable substance for this purpose. The nut or ring is shaped on its outermargin to give a finished appearance to the socket, and the periphery of said ring is knurled to facilitate turning the ring in place. L

. In the construction shown ln Figs. 3-and 4 the screw-threaded end of the body of the socket extends through the supporting-plate- B from front to rear thereof, and the clamping ring or nut therefor engages said body inside of said support. As shown in said figure,

\C designates the socket as a whole, which exbears against the outer face of the support B when the socket is in place.

threads need not necessarily be extended to the extreme end of said body, but only a sufficient distance to afford the proper adj ustment of said nut or ring on said body. It will be observed, however, that in this construction the screw-threads may be made of sufficient length to give considerable adjustment to the ring or nut 0 and thereby enable the socket to be-fitted to a support B of greater width than that shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The terminals 0 O to which the conductors are adapted to be attached, are in this instance extended through the end wall of the body of the receptacle and do not extend radially outside of the circumference of the reduced or screw-threaded end of the body, thereby enabling the ring or nut to pass thereover to engage the screw-threads of the socket-body. To the metal terminal 0 is attached the usual screw-threaded sleeve or ring which is lo.- cated inside the hollow body for engagement with the lamp-plug.

An important advantage of the construction described is that the base-supports to which the sockeis have heretofore been attached may be omitted, thereby cheapening and making more compact the construction to which the sockets may be attached and of which they form a part.

The form of socket shown is especially valuable in the construction of electrically-illuminated signs-such, for instance, as is shown in my prior United States Letters Patent No, 690,649, granted January 7, 1902, or in my copending application, Serial No. 107,012, hereinabove referred to. By reason of the fact thatI am enabled to omit the internal socketsupports shown'in said prior Letters Patent the socket-inclosing frame may be made considerably thinner and more compact, thereby increasing the attractive appearance of the sign and materially cheapening its-construction. Furthermore, the work of assembling the sign is facilitated.

As before stated, my invention is capable of general application where it is desired to attach electric-lamp sockets to supports having relatively thin or sheet-metal walls-as,

for instance, said construction may be em ployed for attaching lamps to cornice work, to metal ceilings, reflectors, and other like locations.

As afurtherimprovement'in sockets of this class adapted for outdoor use Ihave shown the bore of the hollow body flared-outwardly, so that the bottom part of said bore is inclined downwardly and outwardly in a manner to drain water therefrom which may find its way into said socket, In this manner 'I' prevent the accumulation of moisture in the socket, which if allowed to collect therein tends to produce an electrolytic actionwhich impairs the electrical connections of the socket.

The sleeves A and C are securely fastened at their inner ends to their terminal strips A and C, respectively, to insure the firmness of said sleeves without actual contact thereof with the walls of the bores or recesses of the socket-bodies.

It is obvious that changes may be made 1n the structural details herein illustrated without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I do not wish to be limited to such details except as hereinafter made the sub ect of specific claims' I claim as my invention I 1. An electric-lamp socket comprising a tubular body made of a single piece of insulating material and provided with an exterior screw-thread and with an exterior shoulder at the base of the screw thread, a screw-- threaded clamping-ring engaging the screwthread of the body and'opposin g said shoulder, and terminals'in the rear end of said socketb y- 2. An electric -lamp socket comprising a tubular body made wholly of insulating material and provided with an exterior shoulder, a retaining-ring surrounding said body and opposing said shoulder and terminals at the rear ends of said body, one of which is connected with a metallic screw-threaded ring within the socket-body constructed to receive a screw-threaded lamp-plug.

' 3. An electric-lamp socket comprising a provided with an exterior screw-thread and with an exterior shoulder at the base of the screw-thread, and a clamping-ring engaging said screw-thread and opposing said shoulder anal made of a material softer than that of the b0 y- 4. The combination of an electric lamp socket and a sheet-material part to which it is attached, said socket comprising a tubular body made of a single piece of insulating material which is adapted to protrude through an opening in said sheet-material part and means for clamping said socket to said part. 5. The combination of an electric lamp socket and a sheet-material part to which it is attached, said socket comprising a tubular body made of a single piece of insulating material which is adapted to protrude through said opening and with an exterior screwthread and an exterior shoulder at the base of the screw-thread adapted to engage one side of said sheet-material part and a screwthreaded clamping-ring engaging said screwthread of the bodyand opposing said shoulder.

' 6. An electric -lamp socket comprising a tubular body made wholly of insulating ma-' end of said bod and a metallic rin within m I invention Iaffixxi';- 4 si nature in resence I I y a i y o s D said tubular body adapted to receive a lampof two witnesses, this 11th day of April, A. D. plug and connected with one 01? said termi- 1902'. n'als, the outer end-0f the bore of said body v v JOHN H. .GOEHb'I. 5 being made outwardly flaring and of greater Witnesses; i diameter than the said plug-receiving ring. v WILILIAM L."HALL, In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 'GERTRUDE' BRYCE. 

